This couple met at a bar over three years ago, quickly started dating and have been trying to figure out if they really belong together ever since. Although they live under one roof, they rarely see each other due to their opposite work schedules.

Lorena and Jason’s cultural differences has caused some issues in their relationship and they’re hoping the Race might help them figure out whether or not their relationship has what it takes to last.

Jason works as a wedding videographer/actor and teaches martial arts. His favorite hobbies are yoga, rock climbing and martial arts. He describes himself as courageous and volatile. Volatile could also be the best word to describe his and Lorena’s relationship. Lorena admits that she is a very jealous person, which has caused problems in the past.

Lorena also works as a waitress and is an actress. She admits that the biggest difference between the two is that she stresses out over everything while Jason is much more relaxed. Lorena is ready to get married and this topic in particular has caused some friction in their relationship in the past.

Both are well traveled and very physical. This couple plays together, travels together, exercises together and fights together.

An Arkansas native is among the newly announced teams who will compete on CBS’ “The Amazing Race 12” this season. The reality-adventure series, which covers 30,000 miles in five countries in 30 days, premieres at 7 p.m. Nov. 4 on channel 6.Actor Jason Widener, 33, who was featured in “The Comebacks,” the spoof of inspiration sports films that opened last week, will be one of the featured competitors.Teaming with him is his girlfriend Lorena Segura, 27, a bartender born in Puerto Rico.The couple make their home in Sherman Oaks, Calif., and will be among the 11 teams competing for the $1 million prize

I don't think their Buddy TV Interview did them any favors--I liked them better before I saw it...

Logged

"Our fans are pretty good. They don't give away too much. Sometimes people love dropping spoilers, but our fans are good. They tend to do it in such a way that doesn't ruin it for fans who don't want to know."--Phil Keoghan

“There was a Lot of Bad Luck About It” – An Interview with The Amazing Race's Lorena & Jason by Teeuwynn Woodruff -- 11/27/2007

This week, a strong young team struggled to catch up from the time deficit their struggles with last week’s camel-milking Roadblock created. But what really happened with the camel? Did getting U-Turned by Shana & Jennifer really make any difference? And how did they feel about carrying a live chicken around all day? Look inside to find out!

RNO: Let’s start with the burning question, just what was it like toting a chicken in a bag around for a day?

Lorena: It was actually fun!

Jason: Well, I mean, I’m the one who held the chicken the whole time.

Lorena: Well, I held it while you did the bike.

Jason: But I’m really into animals. I love animals. I was trying not to hurt him and it was just cool that, at the end, Phil said that our chicken looked the best.

Lorena: Yeah, we won that!

RNO: Did you name your chicken?

Jason: We didn’t name it. You know, we had other things on our mind.

RNO: Were you crossing your fingers that another team had somehow lost their chicken on the leg?

Lorena: Oh, yeah.

Jason: That their car would break down or something.

Lorena: We were crossing our toe-fingers!

RNO: At the start of the leg, did you think you had much of a chance to catch up with the other teams?

Jason: Of course we did!

Lorena: Yeah, we did. We did. Because everybody else caught up every single time.

Jason: Every leg before this, people were behind – an hour, two hours behind – and everybody got equalized at the airport. So, we were thinking, “Hey! At least we’ll get equalized at the airport.”

RNO: But there was no airport.

Jason: There was no airport. And then we thought, okay, we’ll just play really well.

Lorena: And we did.

Jason: And then we got U-Turned.

RNO: Shana & Jennifer used the U-Turn on you. Did that make any actual difference or were you so far behind it just didn’t matter?

Jason: We weren’t that far behind. I think if they wouldn’t have U-Turned us, we would have definitely crossed paths with other teams. For sure. But, you know, you just never know what’s going to happen. I mean, that definitely put us back another 45 minutes.

RNO: Why do you think Shana & Jennifer were so worried about you guys?

Jason: Well… She thought that we were closer than we really were. She thought TK & Rachel were us. And, you know, we were a strong team. We ended up finishing the whole race [leg] – we were an hour behind TK & Rachel and Shana & Jen.

RNO: You were an hour behind them when you got to the Pit Stop?

Jason: Yes. We weren’t that far behind.

Lorena: And we had started an hour and a half behind them.

Jason: And we did both Detours.

RNO: With the extra Detour taking about 45 minutes?

Jason: Yeah, so we would have been like 15 minutes behind them. The thing is, you still never know.

RNO: But you had made up a fair amount of time?

Jason: Oh, we made up time.

Lorena: Yeah!

Jason: We still made up time even when we got U-Turned.

RNO: Communication seemed to be somewhat of an issue for you two on the race. Jason, why didn’t you listen to Lorena in Ireland when she told you that you were driving in the wrong direction?

Jason: Ummm… The biggest reason is because we’d already turned around once. We were going one direction and then we started going another direction. Lorena and I talked about it and she said that if I was feeling really positive we were going the right way, you know, she told me to make the final decision. I was just trying to, you know, uphold that. I was going to make the final decision. Just because… I knew we weren’t lost. And the thing was, we really weren’t lost. We ended up taking a wrong turn later and, the thing is, I didn’t want to get trapped into following people. I didn’t want to rely on people too much. You know, why don’t we just do it ourselves? We’re in first place already. If we get lost a little bit, we’re not going to lose. I knew we were okay.

RNO: Lorena, why do you think you stumbled at the camel-milking Roadblock in the previous leg?

Lorena: I… Well, the reality is that I filled up the bowl and it was all filled. I drank it with a guy who was right next to me, but he wasn’t the judge. So they decided that wasn’t acceptable. Later, we found out that it was acceptable for other teams, but it wasn’t accepted for me at that moment. And I wasn’t in the right state of mind to fight it or anything. I kept going and filling up my bowl… and then my camel had gone a little bit dry. So I was, like, “I cannot believe this just happened to me.” That’s why I freaked out.

RNO: How much time do you think that cost you?

Lorena: The entire time I was there.

Jason: I mean, she drank the first bowl after 10 or 15 minutes of milking and then she finds out that she drank it in front of the wrong guy. I mean, she asked “is this the right guy?” and he said, “yeah,” so she drank it. Then she had to go to another bowl, and she [the camel] was dry at that point.

RNO: Jason, while you were waiting, did you try to talk to someone about the situation? Or couldn’t you see what was happening?

Jason: Yeah, I couldn’t really see what was going on. That’s why, ‘cause Lorena was so far away, and she was looking at me. She knew I was wondering what was going on. Then I was a little upset that she drank it in front of the wrong person and then it just kept escalating. Finally, before you know it, everybody’s gone and she’s still trying. There was a lot of bad luck about it.

RNO: Did Julia shouting at you to try another camel – one with a baby – actually help you finish the task more quickly?

Lorena: Yeah, actually, I did go to that camel and it gave me milk. It actually helped me leave faster.

Jason: They were helping each other out that last 45 minutes.

Lorena: Yeah, we were both helping each other out. At that point, we were like, “Oh my gosh!”

Jason: Yeah, they were running around trying to find the right camel.

RNO: Do you think that help allowed you to finish close enough to Marianna & Julia to catch them at the end?

Jason: It gave us an advantage, but I tell you, they didn’t show a lot. We ran really hard to catch up to them and after we caught up to them I think we did really well to overtake them. We got lucky in that way, so…

RNO: Although having the first bowl of milk Lorena drank not counted by the judges actually ended up costing you this leg of the race.

Jason: Yeah, in the long run, that whole thing… we never caught up. We never caught a break after that. I think a lot of teams get a lot of breaks. We didn’t have an equalizer as far as an airport, we got U-Turned, nobody really made a mistake, Lorena drank two bowls of milk. It was just really bad luck for us. I think we were a pretty strong team.

RNO: What made you decide to go on The Amazing Race?

Lorena: Well, I just felt like… I guess I brought it up. I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to do it. I didn’t feel that I could leave for that long an amount of time. Then I told Jason and he was all for it. We made the tape and one thing led to another. We got called back and we just got really excited about it. In the beginning, I think that I was more tentative than anything. But it came out of wanting to get out of my comfort zone, to get out of Los Angeles, to actually explore and do something different that I hadn’t done before. We didn’t become fans of the show until after we decided we were going to do it. We never had time to even watch TV that much. We lived life really hectic. This was a great opportunity to be hectic somewhere else.

RNO: Did going on the race change your relationship in any way?

Lorena: Umm… well, Jason?

Jason: I’m here. I’m just listening right now.

Lorena: Oh, um…

(Jason laughs)

Lorena: I think, now that we’re watching it again, it has. Because we’re both dealing with everything that happened and, you know, forgiving ourselves if we hadn’t before. And then coming together and being fine with ourselves together. So, it’s like, we’re just feeling everything again. But I’m sure we’re fine. We’re together. We’re very lucky with a lot of things in our lives.

RNO: What was your favorite moment on the race?

Jason: I did like it when the storm blew in [at the camel-milking Roadblock]. It was such a cool moment to be there, hearing the camels groan and your girl’s out there yelling… It was one of those moments that was actually kind of cool. It would be pretty hard to replicate.

Lorena: I loved not being eliminated! That was good. Because it really did give me hope that we were still in it. We never thought for a million years that we were not going to be able to catch up the next day. We were really positive that everything was going to work out where we were going to be all equalized.

RNO: Is there anything you would do differently on the race?

Lorena: I would have stayed calm so that when something like the milk arose, my head would have been clear enough to be able to work out where I didn’t have to milk again.

RNO: What are your plans for the future?

Jason: For me, right now, as far as my personal life, I’m working on a documentary about the real Hollywood Entourage. There’s an acting strike [editor: writers strike] so we’re not really acting. We’re trying to have a good holiday season and start the new year off right. That’s it.

So let's start at the beginning here. Were you two fans of The Amazing Race? Was one of you a bigger fan than the other? How did you all apply? How did it all work out?

Jason: We were fans, definitely fans. A lot of my family, they were fans. My aunt was a huge fan of the show and all her kids were always talking about doing it and things like that and we went through the whole process, applied and now we're here.

So you guys are in first place after the second leg, looking pretty good and then comes the camel. Obviously Lorena that was a really frustrating event. Was there any aspect to that that we didn't get to see? Or was it just as simple as the camel was dry?

Lorena: No, there was a lot of aspects to it. I mean I was out there like, three hours I think, trying to milk that camel. In the beginning, actually, you didn't get to see me drink the milk first with the ... there were just a lot of long technicalities that happened with me and the camel in the beginning that wasn't shown. And then that frustration built to what you saw. So my frustration that you saw on TV didn't come until way, way after.

Jason: In the beginning she actually milked it really fast, drank the milk in front of the wrong judge, and basically had to re-milk the cow. That's what really happened. So you know there was a build up to her actually losing. That was after an hour and a half, two hours of : ‘Okay, this is not working out. I let my boy down. We were in first place, now we're in last.' Sh*t happens quick.

How hard was that for both of you to watch on TV?

Jason: It was hard, I mean it was hard to watch ... we've already been through it so we've already been through the emotions. Watching it on TV is just kind of a weird kind of nightmare. Seeing it again you're like: ‘Oh, wow, this did happen.' It wasn't that bad though because we've already gotten over it. The hardest part was probably seeing all of our friends excited that we were in first place and going into the second leg going: ‘You guys are going to win this thing.' And then all of a sudden on the next race: ‘We didn't think you were going to make it. Wow.'

Onto last nights episode, do you guys have any lingering bitterness over the U-Turn used on you? And did you know before last night that it was meant for TK and Rachel and it was kind of a mistake?

Lorena: I actually didn't know that we weren't meant it for. We always thought it was meant for us. I never quite understood why they did it, but now watching it makes sense because they thought it was TK and Rachel behind. They thought that TK and Rachel ... that it was us, behind them, you know?

Jason: Yeah they thought that was TK and Rachel they thought was us. They thought we were on their tail but we were still an hour behind them and that obviously just really, kicked us in the balls when we were down there.

It's kind of hard to tell with the editing, but would guys have had any shot at passing any of the other teams had you not been U-Turned?

Jason: I think so. I think that, you know, the course of anything in life that if you change one little aspect, everything else changes. So basically if we wouldn't have been U-Turned, the way they were racing may have been a little different. You just never know, there are so many little factors involved. It's just pretty chaotic. Yeah basically when we got to the very end of the race, we were about an hour behind TK and Rachel and we did both take detours. We started an hour and half behind ... we saved about 30mintues. We caught up. Even though they were playing two detours. So we actually played a really great leg and that's why it was so upsetting because we blew past it.

Was there anything over the course of the season so far that was edited out of you guys that you wish CBS would have shown?Jason: I do wish they would have shown, when we hitched the camels up and we ran to catch up to Julia and Marianna, we ran the opposite way for about two and half ... two miles. Some kids on bikes told us that they knew where the school was. So we went two miles, and they showed a little bit of it, but they didn't really show how hard we were all running racing through the mud. The cameraman fell in the mud ... it was chaos. It was a major footrace. I wish they had shown more because it was very exciting getting to the school.

Lorena: I wish they would have shown our alliances too. We were really close to Kynt and Vyxsin. It was really back and forth.

Jason: Kynt really helped us out. We were trying to help them out, and they were helping us out. I remember one time Kynt got a map for us when everybody was trying to not give us a map because we got stuck in customs. And that's something that they should show to, but they can't. So many custom problems. We liked everybody, you know? Nate and Jen, TK and Rachel, Kynt and Vyxsin, they were the ones we hung out with the most and I think it was sad for us to go but I think they were glad that we left to because they knew we were pretty strong.

Is there anything coming up in the future for you two outside of the game that you'd like to talk about?

Jason: Oh yea, oh yea. For me I'm really excited because I'm working on a documentary about the real Hollywood entourage. So that's going to be something that I think everybody is going to want to see. I'm just producing it and putting it together, but my friend is directing it. We've been gathering the footage for the last 12 years, so we're really excited about that. Yeah and then we're acting in it.

Lorena: Um, well, I just shot a spot on Moonlight that came out and it was pretty cool. And a lot of people are talking about that scene so I'm hoping that, and after the writers guild get's done, that that'll make for a little bit more opportunities for me getting some roles. Work on my craft and my passion number one.

-Interview Conducted by Oscar Dahl

Logged

"Our fans are pretty good. They don't give away too much. Sometimes people love dropping spoilers, but our fans are good. They tend to do it in such a way that doesn't ruin it for fans who don't want to know."--Phil Keoghan

Lorena Segura and Jason Widener began the fourth leg in last place but assumed they'd at least be given the opportunity to catch-up. Unfortunately for the dating couple from Sherman Oaks, CA, that never happened, and they instead became the fourth team eliminated from The Amazing Race's twelfth season during Sunday night's broadcast of the CBS reality series.

On Monday, Jason, a 33-year-old wedding videographer and actor, and Lorena, a 27-year-old bartender and actress, talked to Reality TV World about how a Roadblock technicality contributed to their elimination; why the lack of a bunching point on the fourth leg proved to be costly; how the use of a U-Turn on them was a case of mistaken identity; and how Jason thinks viewers will react when they see the season's eventual outcome.

Reality TV World: How were you cast for The Amazing Race 12? Was it your first time applying for the show?

Jason: It was the first time we applied. The reason we got cast, my family is really into [The Amazing Race]. My aunt, she was into it. Her kids were into it. We always talked about how this would be a cool adventure and me and my girlfriend decided, "Let's go for it." We went through the process and sent in tape -- where we were actually arguing (laughing). I thought that was funny. They brought us in and we got on the show. We were lucky to get on the show.

Reality TV World: You just mentioned your family had watched the show. Had you watched The Amazing Race before?

Jason: We're not fans, but we watched it. We never really stuck through a whole season, but I was always like, "That's pretty cool." Everybody's always telling me about it...Lorena: I think once we got on we became fans (laughing)!

Reality TV World: How did you prepare yourselves both physically and mentally for the competition?

Lorena: Actually we've always been pretty physical, so we kept doing what we were doing physically. Preparation mentally... We just watched a lot of past races and looked for strategies, pointers from other people online. Most of them said the same thing. "You don't know what's going to happen and it's much more of an internal thing. Much more of how you deal with each individual situation."

Reality TV World: Had either of you previously done a lot of international traveling? Do you know any foreign languages?

Lorena: I have. I've traveled... Actually, I've been to Amsterdam not too long ago, so I knew my way around there when we went there. I know a little French -- enough to get by -- not fluent. I've been to France. I've been to England. I've been to Italy. So I've been to a bunch of places, internationally and in South America. I've been lucky with my family, that [travel] has been a priority.

Reality TV World: Were there any teams you initially butted heads with? Any teams that you got along with really well?

Lorena: We didn't butt heads with anybody actually. From the beginning ["Sisters" Julia and Marianna Ruiz] -- we weren't sure about them in the beginning -- but then we got along with them perfectly...Jason: I think even the producers, they were a little scared. They were like, "Man! You guys get along way too well!" Lorena: Yeah. We got along really well.Jason: There were people that we were hoping were going to be out as far as competition.

Reality TV World: You just mentioned the sisters, did you form any alliances with any of the other teams?

Lorena: We actually did help... We helped ["Dating Goths" Kynt Cothron and Vyxsin Fiala]. We actually helped each other a lot in the first three legs of the race. We worked together really well.Jason: They weren't really alliances as much as they were situational. Like if you're sitting on the train, you're sitting by somebody -- I don't care who it is -- you have to put your heads together and try to stay towards the front of the pack. I think everybody kind of had that strategy. I think the people that alienated themselves at the beginning probably didn't have as much information. You want to stay in the front of the pack, and if you're in the back of the pack, you'd like to be in the front of it.

Reality TV World: During the first leg of the race, Jason you commented how communication wasn't your relationship's strong point. Were you concerned that was going to be a hindrance in the competition and if so, do you think you guys were able to overcome it?

Jason: I think we communicated well in the second leg... I think communication in life with everybody is an ongoing work in progress, so when you're under that kind of stress and sleep deprivation, it just heightens everything. So I think everybody was challenged with communication... Lorena's a pretty emotional girl, so I think that made it a little more difficult. But we did our best. I think we communicated really good, we got U-Turned and we didn't have an equalizer.

Reality TV World: During the second leg, Jason you showed some of your physical strength during the "Hoist It" Detour challenge and subsequent pole-vaulting Roadblock challenge, allowing your team to be the first to reach the second Pit Stop. How confident were you at that point of the race?

Jason: I knew there was a possibility there as far as taking an advantage and being physical. I think in a footrace or anything like that -- physically -- we were really in shape. If it's a simple task, and you're doing something using muscle and physicality, I was like, "Man, it's going to be hard to beat us." But when you're milking a camel or walking a donkey, you never know. It's not as controlled. It's not in your control as much...

Reality TV World: That leads well into my next question. Lorena what was the major problem you encountered during the third leg's Roadblock when you were milking your camel?

Lorena: I think the kicking... The camel kicking and me losing milk a lot didn't help in me filling that bowl. Also, you don't get to see everything, so you miss out on some technicalities in the beginning about rules and stuff. I actually had a bowl and drank it in the beginning, and it wasn't acceptable after the fact that it was accepted. So that was like a big deal there, and that contributed to my...

Reality TV World: Interesting. Was there a reason they said it wasn't acceptable after you drank it?

Lorena: You know, I never really asked because you don't have time to talk to people about it. I never really asked. In that moment, I was so nervous thinking that I did something wrong, I didn't realize that I actually didn't do something wrong. Something...Jason: She drank the bowl of milk in-front of the wrong person so... They don't show that, but it disqualified her from moving on [until she completed the challenge again]. She had to do it again, so the camel was already out of milk.

Reality TV World: Jason how difficult was it for you to watch Lorena struggle with the camel, knowing there was nothing you could do?

Jason: It was hard man. I wanted to help her, but I knew she had to do it on her own and of course I saw the race slipping away. I think when the [sandstorm] finally came, at this point I said, "You know what? Enjoy the race, have fun, and stay positive because this could be our last leg."... I don't know. There's worse things in life then being on a TV show in Africa.Lorena: Yeah....

Reality TV World: Seeing as how it helped you complete the Roadblock, were you surprised when Julia gave you the hint to milk the nursing camel?

Lorena: I think at that point, we became so close because we were there for like an hour after everybody had left. We became so close, we actually helped each other back and forth even before that. We were telling each other, "This one has milk! That one has milk!" We were helping each other out in that situation...

Reality TV World: About how long did it take you to finish that Roadblock challenge?

Lorena: About three hours...

Reality TV World: What were you thinking when you were leading your camels and saw Julia and Marianna walking slowly down the path?

Jason: I knew we were going to lose the race unless we ran. Even though they said we weren't supposed to run, our nomad was really cool, and I think he...Lorena: He started hitting our camel in the back...Jason: He wasn't hitting him he was making noises, which would kind of... I don't know if it spooked him, but it was trying to keep him going.... Camels can run!

Reality TV World: How far ahead of Julia and Marianna were you in reaching the third leg's Pit Stop?

Lorena: We were like 15 minutes before them... or 10.Jason: No we weren't.Lorena: They weren't RIGHT behind us Jason. Jason: They were in the classroom [for the Detour challenge] with us. Lorena: We got to the Pit Stop WAY before they did.Jason: I don't think it was WAY before. I think they were only like five minutes behind us...Lorena: Well, it felt longer.

Reality TV World: You left the third Pit Stop about an hour and half behind the next closest team -- were you confident you'd be able to make-up your deficit heading into the fourth leg?

Jason: Absolutely. I mean considering we didn't know we were going to stay in Africa. We thought we'd get clumped up at the airport again at least, or something...

Reality TV World: Do you think that the leg's lack of a bunching point -- the leg didn't feature any airplane flights or clue locations that only seemed to be open during certain limited hours and allowed all the teams to get back together -- is what did you in?

Lorena: Okay... So I'm going in. I have to go.Jason: Okay. You have to go?Lorena: I do.Jason: Okay. Keep your phone on and then come back to the conversation. Lorena has to go for a second...

Reality TV World: Okay.

Jason: Yeah, I mean at this point it was the only leg where there wasn't something that equalizes everybody. If we had the airport involved, we're only an hour-and-a-half behind. You know you're going to get to the airport with everybody else and you're going to be able to catch-up. At least with two other teams, who then you can try to beat on the ground. We didn't expect the U-Turn (laughing)!

Reality TV World: I was just going to ask you about that. What was your initial reaction when you saw "Friends" Shana Wall and Jennifer McCall decided to use the U-Turn on you?

Jason: They thought that ["Newly Dating Couple" Rachel Rosales and TK Erwin] were Rachel and I. So they thought they we were right on their tail when we're weren't. So basically, we were still... That was an hour-and-a-half taxi ride from Bingo to that Detour. So that was just kicking us when we were down. I wish they would have known who they were U-Turning! I think that if they would have known that was TK and Rachel, they wouldn't have U-Turned us. That's unfortunate. But what's funny is, when we finished the whole leg, we were only an hour behind [Shana and Jennifer] and TK and Rachel.

Reality TV World: In reaching the fourth leg's Pit Stop?

Jason: Yeah... AND we did both Detours. We blew through that leg, which sucks because we were just getting our rhythm and I think we would have been a force. We just had a lot of things that stacked up on us and just really took us down.

Reality TV World: About how long did it take you to complete both of the Detour challenges?

Jason: You know, the hard part... It was all in one area, those Detours. If you wanted to do the ["Shake Your Booty" challenge] or the ["Shake Your Pan" challenge], but it was a long like half-mile or mile in-between each one. Plus the U-Turn was at another place, like a triangle. So there's a big triangle. So we had to go from [the "Shake Your Booty" challenge] to the U-Turn, from the U-Turn to [the "Shake Your Pan" challenge] and then back to the U-Turn to get our clue. We did double or triple the amount of running than everybody else -- they didn't show that -- and we still did it faster than everybody. I don't know how we did it so fast. We did really good, and it just sucks. Another contributing factor is nobody really made any really big mistakes. Every other leg, there's at least a couple of people that something goes bad...

Reality TV World: When you saw the U-Turn, did you think there was any chance you'd be able to catch-up with the other teams?

Jason: It's never over until it's over. I thought maybe -- even though they said there's no non-elimination rounds -- maybe there is a surprise. Just keep doing well, you don't want to be too far behind the other teams.

Reality TV World: Do you think Shana and Jennifer's decision to use the U-Turn put a target on their backs?

Jason: I think yeah, the other teams are definitely going to know that [Shana and Jennifer] are not scared to put a target on their backs and they made a bad decision because they didn't even know which team they were actually U-Turning... They were just playing the game though. I understand.

Reality TV World: The show hasn't made any mention of it, but TK, Rachel, Staella Gianakakos, and Nathan Hagstrom all went to high school together in Fountain Valley, CA. How forthcoming were they with the information and what was your reaction when you found out about that?

Jason: They even told me! So we did find out. I was like, "Oh really?" It really was a complete coincidence. None of them knew each other really; they just knew of each other. I believe that because everybody was straight, stand-up people.

Reality TV World: Once you found out, weren't you worried that their three teams might be planning to ally against the rest of the teams?

Jason: Yeah. I was worried. I was hoping that I could develop a report with the people at the top of the pack and keep an open mind and keep the information going. We did -- but after that third leg -- everybody looked at us a little weird in Africa... We were in last, and now we're in first... I think that's when the race really started to begin, that third leg. They were like, "Uh-oh."

Reality TV World: What was the toughest part about competing on The Amazing Race?

Jason: The hardest part for me was actually seeing Lorena after that Roadblock with the camel. Standing there, and the only thing I could do was give her encouragement. That's what I did. It's hard when you really can't help somebody...

Reality TV World: Which team would you like to see win the $1 million prize? Anybody you don't want to see win?

Jason: Since I know the outcome of the whole thing, it's too much information I know. I think everybody's going to be surprised who wins... It's a long race... It's really a long race... I think it's going to be one of the best seasons. It's really good.

Reality TV World: If you had won, what were your plans for the $1 million prize?

Jason: Well right now, I'm working on this documentary about the real Hollywood entourage. So I'm going to need some money for that -- so I'm raising money right now for that, and that's what I would use it for. But I'll find the money another way and everything's going to work out. I know Lorena... You know we dream about a house. Keep it simple.

Reality TV World: During your post-elimination interview, you both talked about marriage. What's the current status of your relationship and do you think participating in The Amazing Race strengthened it?

Jason: We're both living in L.A., we work as actors... We really don't know what the hell we want, the both of us. We're trying to figure out what we're doing and keep it artistic -- the spirit alive... Marriage for me, I'm like one of those guys that's against the institution so I'm trying to stay away from that and keep the free spirit about myself. She really is too, but she does love the traditional aspect of getting married...

Reality TV World: You already touched upon this, but what else is next for you two?

Jason: I mean we're really acting hard -- I mean there's the [Writers Guild of America] strike right now so we're waiting for that to be over. I was just in a movie called The Comebacks, where I played the actor Mark Wahlberg in a spoof with David Koechner. Lorena was just in a show called Moonlight about vampires. So we've got things going for us as far as the acting and the documentary is going to be my life for the next six months. We're just trying to keep moving.

Q. Mark RealityWanted.com: What initially got you both interested in being on The Amazing Race, did you watch prior seasons?

A. Lorena, The Amazing Race 12: The opportunity presented itself when we found out CBS was casting season 12. I have always loved to travel but it’s hard to get the two of us together and go somewhere. We thought it would be great way to get out and experience something new. We did watch The Amazing Race season 7 and The Amazing Race All Stars.

A. Jason, The Amazing Race 12: I had not watched the show much but once we landed a spot on the show CBS had us watch each season so we had an idea on what we were getting into.

Q. Mark Realitywanted.com: Did you guys have a favorite past team or team you rooted on from a prior season?

A. Jason, The Amazing Race 12: We loved everyone that didn’t add too much drama but focused on playing the game.

A. Lorena, The Amazing Race 12: I really liked Uchenna and Joyce.

Q. Mark Realitywanted.com: What was your most favorite and least favorite challenge during the race?

A. Jason, The Amazing Race 12: I really liked the pole vaulting, but actually I liked them all since they were all new experiences. Of course, my least favorite was milking the camel. I also didn’t like tying up the goat on last nights show, I felt bad for the little goat.

Q. Mark RealityWanted.com: I spoke with Marinna and Julia last week, they said you both watched last weeks show together. Did their hint on what camel would produce milk really help keep you both in the race?

A. Jason, The Amazing Race 12: It did help.

A. Lorena, The Amazing Race 12: 100% but we were helping one another for like 15 minutes prior to that since we were both having such issues with the camels.

Q. Mark RealityWanted.com: Let’s talk about the U Turn, do you guys have hard feelings towards Shana and Jen for using it on you?

A. Lorena, The Amazing Race 12: We’re not really mad at them for using the U Turn on us. At the point in which they used it on us none of us were thinking right, no one ate enough, slept enough, and so on. They were just playing the game so I can’t hold a grudge.

A. Jason, The Amazing Race 12: I’m not mad at them but I do wish they had the right information before they used it on us.

Q. Mark RealityWanted.com: What information were they missing?

A. Jason, The Amazing Race 12: When Shana and Jen used the U Turn on us TK and Rachel were running behind them but they thought it was Lorena and I. Had they had the right information they would have used the U Turn on Rachel and TK.

Q. Mark RealityWanted.com: Lets hope Karma doesn’t catch up to those two like it has on prior shows. Let’s talk about the camels from last week, how hard was that on you and did you get tired of them showing you scream about the lack of milk?

A. Jason, The Amazing Race 12: It was very hard for me since all I could do was watch Lorena, I could not help.

A. Lorena, The Amazing Race 12: Yes, it was very hard but most viewers don’t realize I freaked out after being there for three hours. It started to get even worse when the monsoon started to roll in.

Q. Mark RealityWanted.com: What about the other teams? This is the first time we have seen a Gothic team on TAR. Do their outside match their insides?

A. Jason, The Amazing Race 12: I think a lot of people judge them on their look which I think is a good thing since people are very pleasantly surprised once they get to know Kynt and Vxysin.

A. Lorena, The Amazing Race 12: Kynt and Vxysin are eclectic and different but some of the sweetest human beings I have met. They are both very warm, giving, and also great players on the show. You got to see Vxysin on last nights show and how empathetic and caring she was when in Africa.

Q. Mark: RealityWanted.com: What have you guys learned about yourself or other teams and were you surprised while watching the last 4 episodes?

A. Jason, The Amazing Race 12: I was surprised about Ron and Christina’s relationship. Jen and Nate are very cool and fun but I had no idea how much they yelled at one another. I also didn’t know just how competitive Azaria & Hendekea were until I watched the last few shows.

A. Lorena, The Amazing Race 12: I felt the same way Jason did. I was very shocked at the relationship between Ron and Christina.

Q. Mark: RealityWanted.com: After taking part in this show, has the experience changed your future plans in anyway?

A. Lorena, The Amazing Race 12: I used to travel for leisure but now I want to travel to make a difference. We were all very lucky to see Africa and I am very grateful. I now know there is so much work that needs to be done and I can make a difference. At one point in Africa while waiting for a train a father handed his baby girl to me. She wasn’t fazed by having a stranger hold her like she may have been in the US, seeing this made me think of things I have never thought of before such as adoption.

Mark RealityWanted.com: Well we want to thank you two for spending some time with us. I am sure we will see you at the finale. Do either of you have a Myspace or webpage you want to share with fans?

Thanks for the interviews puddin. The interviews usually explain a lot that we the viewers don't see/hear on the show...so it makes me want to try harder to not draw conclusions too soon. I had no idea the blonds thought they were U-turning Rachel Rosales and TK Erwin. Did they mention it during the show and I missed it? Whatever, that sucked. I hope the others pay more attention and UTurn the right team!!

Also, I thought the blonds were too hasty using the UTurn. However, if they hadnt used it they may've been eliminated. Not that I wanted them gone at this point, but w/ only 7 teams left, it would be wise to use it...esp if you're midway or towards the end of the line!